Rednecks and Racism: A Lesson in Rebranding
Will it be a prominent Republican politician who reaches out to minorities? Or will it be a humble one? Maybe a great Republican will recognize a humble one? From my blog, Intellectual Redneck .Com:
For brief periods of time, in various regions of the country, African-Americans and rednecks have been one. I think of the fact that one-seventh of all long-drive era cowboys were black. And they got along well with the other cowboys. We think of barroom fights when we think of the Old West. But real cowboys needed each other as they faced real dangers from the natural elements.
We face real dangers now.
It was an act of redneck common sense that freed the slaves. And Lyndon Johnson, a redneck if there ever was one, signed the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act into law.
But who has really brought rednecks and African-Americans together? Martin Luther King? Not really. He was shot by a redneck. (Obviously not an intellectual one.) And his death tore apart race relations.
Al Sharpton? No, his persecution complex drove him to greatness in certain sectors of the African-American community. But it keeps him from reaching out beyond that.
Barack Obama? Sure, he won the Iowa Caucus. Then he won Iowa. And he gave McCain a real run in the real deep south. But his economic policies sap the spirit, not empower the will.
I have a feeling the leader will come from an unlikely place. Maybe a northern rural state? Maybe the person is a teacher like LBJ. Maybe he's a gangling awkward-looking guy, like Lincoln. Maybe he's a man of faith like King. Maybe he's a conservative like Reagan.
Or a northerner like Garrison. Or a writer like Stowe. Maybe he's someone who's not afraid to rile his people, like Clarence Thomas. Heck, he could be any one of us. And all of us.
For brief periods of time, in various regions of the country, African-Americans and rednecks have been one. I think of the fact that one-seventh of all long-drive era cowboys were black. And they got along well with the other cowboys. We think of barroom fights when we think of the Old West. But real cowboys needed each other as they faced real dangers from the natural elements.
We face real dangers now.
It was an act of redneck common sense that freed the slaves. And Lyndon Johnson, a redneck if there ever was one, signed the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act into law.
But who has really brought rednecks and African-Americans together? Martin Luther King? Not really. He was shot by a redneck. (Obviously not an intellectual one.) And his death tore apart race relations.
Al Sharpton? No, his persecution complex drove him to greatness in certain sectors of the African-American community. But it keeps him from reaching out beyond that.
Barack Obama? Sure, he won the Iowa Caucus. Then he won Iowa. And he gave McCain a real run in the real deep south. But his economic policies sap the spirit, not empower the will.
I have a feeling the leader will come from an unlikely place. Maybe a northern rural state? Maybe the person is a teacher like LBJ. Maybe he's a gangling awkward-looking guy, like Lincoln. Maybe he's a man of faith like King. Maybe he's a conservative like Reagan.
Or a northerner like Garrison. Or a writer like Stowe. Maybe he's someone who's not afraid to rile his people, like Clarence Thomas. Heck, he could be any one of us. And all of us.
Tags: minorities, republicans
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dean Allen on -
Curtis,
People have been reaching out to me all my life. They have reached out to sell me cars (and a million other things) to ask for my vote (School Board to the White House) or to get me to join an organization (starting with the Cub Scouts in 1957). In all those episodes of reaching out over fifty years nobody ever reached out (successfully) based upon an appeal to my race. I have never been asked to buy anything, join anything, or vote for anybody because I was white, Cajun, southern, redneck, etc., & so forth.
The simple straight appeal was always "this is a quality product at a good price" or "I am a qualified candidate who will do a great job" or "This is a good cause and you can make a valuable contribution and gain satisfaction." In fact, if I was classified as a hyphenated American or an appeal was made based upon some narrow part of who I am I rejected the invitation (as I once did the Klan) and felt insulted I had been asked.
There are Republicans of all walks of life. The highest ranking Republican in America at the moment, Michael Steele, just happens to be black. However, I think the very concept of a "minority outreach" is racist and divisive. The absolutely last thing we as Republicans should ever do is engage in class warfare and be divisive as the Democrats consistently are. That's one of the reasons we oppose them!
Our appeals and our leadership need to clearly enunciate our programs, principles and leadership and offer those to all the American people as a whole. The response needs to be that a citizen supports the Republican party because he or she believes in freedom, free enterprise, and traditional morality. It should never be because of some narrow appeal to class, race, gender & etc. To try to be inclusive by being divisive is an oxymoron.
The leader who reaches out to everybody, will be the leader who recruits everybody, and it matters not whether he is humble or arrogant.
Respectfully,
Dean Allen
Executive Redneck
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Permalink Reply by Curtis Hier on -
That's a good lesson for the Party. We need to act for the right reasons. Your reply is well received.
That being said, who knows what motivated Lincoln, LBJ, etc? Who knows what motivates you, me, or anyone else on this site? My Christian faith teaches me not to judge. My redneckness teaches me not to trust weasel words. But my faith teaches me that I have to trust somebody. Or human kind will be doomed. My last sentence said all of us. That means each of us. And that means every grouping of us.
I hope I'm getting people psyched for the epic battles we have in front of us.
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